Spring 20226 is a busy season filled with every genre you can possibly imagine.
Spring 2026 is one of the busiest anime seasons in a while. With some popular returning titles like Wistoria: Wand and Sword, Dr. STONE: Science Future, and Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World, some of the new shows have flown under the radar.
However, we are here to tell you that Spring 2026 has some amazing new series from every possible genre imaginable. Whether you love romcoms, action, drama, or a good old fashioned slice-of-life, we got you covered.
In fact, we have so many great suggestions from this season, that we couldn’t fit all of them into our top 10 list. That’s why, we also have a special mentions section where three standout shows deserving your attention have been included. Whether you watch anime to relax or to get your blood pumping, this list is all you’ll need for this season.
What are the best new anime of Spring 2026?
Here are the best new shows that have won our hearts this season. Starting off with the:
Special mentions:
The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King
Studio: Jumondo
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Fantasy setting? Check. Enemies to lovers romance? Check. A very handsome and jacked male love interest? CHECK! This new series has all the elements to hook a fantasy romance lover. Based on Noriaki Kotoba’s manga, the anime is visually stunning. The love story between the two protagonists Serafina and Veor unfolds adorably.
MAO
Studio: Sunrise
Streaming platform: Hulu, Disney+, YouTube
With renowned works such as Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha under her belt, Rumiko Takahashi is one of Japan’s most successful manga artists. Her latest work MAO has finally been adapted into an anime this season. It follows protagonist Mao, who is inexplicably transported to Japan’s Taishō Era, which seems to be infested with ghosts and monsters. With superpowers, fights against bizarre monsters, and a slow-burn romance, MAO is a trip down memory lane for those who grew up on Takahashi’s previous works.
Awajima Hyakkei
Studio: Madhouse
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Based on Takako Shimura’s manga series, Awajima Hyakkei (Scenes from Awajima) is the only Josei anime title of this season. The coming-of-age anime follows students from the acclaimed Awajima Opera School for girls. Highlighting feelings of love, jealousy, bullying, competitiveness, and admiration, the show dives deep into the psyche of these girls who are all fighting for the same goals. So far, the episodes seem to follow a duo of girls whose lives are intrinsically intertwined with one another. With a soft animation style and amazing music, this show is a treat for the eyes and the heart.
Now off to the top 10 new anime of this season that you should definitely check out:
10. The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt
Studio: Zero-G
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Do you love hilariously dumb characters and a comedic love story that sometimes makes you want to bang your head against the wall? Well, you’re in luck, because this season’s breakout romcom serie,s The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt, lovingly abbreviated to Ponsuka, offers just that. Based on Takuma Yokota’s manga, the series will make you laugh until you cry.
The story follows Tougo, a rule-following prefect, and Poemu, a stylish gyaru who gets into trouble with Tougo because of the short length of her skirt. Somehow, they become friends, and Poemu’s heart keeps growing fonder of the stiff and strict prefect who has a surprisingly soft heart. With a bookish nerd with a huge gap-moe, a former delinquent health committee member, and the beauty and the beast of the student council, every student around Poemu seems to be more ridiculous then the one before. How will her first love play out while surrounded by such characters? You can watch the show to find out!
9. Kusunoki's Garden of Gods
Studio: JUVENAGE
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
If you’re a fan of fantasy slice-of-life shows such as Farming Life in Another World and Campfire Cooking in Another World, then Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods will be right up your alley. Unlike the two aforementioned series, the protagonist Kusunoki doesn’t travel to another world. Instead, he moves into a countryside house as a caretaker. But things start to change when unique gods and spirits start moving into the house attracted by his power to exorcise evil spirits.
The series is based on Enju’s light novel series and has an overarching plot involving an organisation that exorcises evil spirits, which will keep you interested. However, it mostly focuses on Kusunoki and his unique relationship with the new gods who have started living with him. The mountain spirit Yamagami will remind you of a more well-tempered Fel from Campfire Cooking. The charming and calm nature of the series, paired with its vibrant animation will offer you solace after a long week.
8. Go for It, Nakamura-kun!
Studio: Drive
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
Syundei’s popular queer high-school romcom manga Go for It, Nakamura-kun! finally has an anime adaptation. The show follows 16-year-old Nakamura, a closeted and introverted high school student who has a massive crush on his classmate Hirose. His unrequited love makes itself known through really embarrassing but increasingly funny situations where Nakamura fails miserably to appear cool in Hirose’s eyes.
The charm of the anime stems from its honesty. Instead of a handsome and charming protagonist, we have an awkward guy who daydreams about his crush all day. Hirose is oblivious to his feelings, but the two slowly start becoming friends. The side-characters are also delightful and add dimension to the story. But Go for It, Nakamura-kun! isn’t just a romcom, it’s also a lovely coming-of-age story where the main characters figure out more about themselves through each other in a funny but relatable way.
7. Akane-banashi
Studio: Zexcs
Streaming platform: Netflix, YouTube
Based on Yuki Suenaga’s manga series, Akane-banashi is centred around a very niche topic: Rakugo. It’s a form of Japanese verbal comedy where the performer entertains the audience by telling funny stories and playing different characters within those stories all by themselves. Without using props or even standing up from their sitting position, it’s a very complicated art to perform, and thus doesn’t have a tremendous hold over the culture anymore. However, if you are interested in this beautiful and compelling performance art form, then Akane-banashi is the anime for you.
The protagonist Akane is a high school student, who has been secretly learning Rakugo from her father’s former master, after her father is kicked out of the Arakawa School after failing to become a shin'uchi (the highest rank in Rakugo). Akane wants to become a rakugoka just like her father was and show the world how beautiful his Rakugo was. The heartwarming story follows her as she meets new performers and learns from them while also connecting with her audience and entertaining them with her Rakugo. The animation is beautiful and subtle, fitting the subject matter perfectly, and the Rakugo performances are well-curated as well, making it a very entertaining watch.
6. MARRIAGETOXIN
Studio: Bones Film
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
After their success with My Hero Academia Season 8 and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Bones Film (the new subsidiary of Studio Bones) is back with another visually explosive action anime. MARRIAGETOXIN the anime is adapted from the web manga series written by Joumyaku and illustrated by Mizuki Yoda. It follows Hikaru Gero, a poison master from the Poison Clan of professional assassins. Despite being an expert in his field, Gero has no interaction with women and lacks the necessary skills to talk to them normally. But when his clan wants to force his lesbian sister to get married to a man and produce an heir, Gero steps in and agrees to get married in her stead. His only condition is that he wants to find a woman and fall in love with her before doing so.
But how is Gero supposed to meet women when he lacks any charm they might fall for? Enter Mei Kinosaki, a marriage swindler who can sweep both men and women off their feet with his allure. He agrees to help Gero get a woman while he agrees to keep her and her sick brother safe. The anime portrays the duo’s growing friendship really well. Gero fails to charm women but slowly getting over his fear of them is heartwarming. Moreover, Bones Film did a tremendous job of animating the action scenes in the series, and they will keep your eyes glued to the screen. With just the right amount of friendship, romance, action, and comedy, MARRIAGETOXIN is one of the most exciting shows of this season so far.
5. The Ramparts of Ice
Studio: KAI
Streaming platform: Netflix
If you watched You and I Are Polar Opposites in the previous season and thought Kōcha Agasawa’s next anime adaptation, The Ramparts of Ice, would have the same fluffy romcom feel, then you are in for a surprise. This series follows Koyuki, a high-school girl who is known amongst her peers as the Ice Queen for her cold demeanor. But behind hides a girl scared of human interaction because of her past experiences. But there’s a guy in her school named Minato, who can’t help but be drawn to those who wander around alone. But when he goes to alleviate Koyuki’s loneliness, he finds icy walls higher and thicker than he expected.
Like You and I Are Polar Opposites, The Ramparts of Ice highlights the different personalities of the characters and how they interact with each other. But instead of doing it in a fun and friendly way, it digs deeper into how past trauma can change a person. Koyuki was bullied and harassed, and can’t trust the boys around her. But once she opens up, she might find friendships that can last a lifetime. Overall, the series with its beautiful art and well-thought out character development, seems to be on the path to become one of the most introspective shows of this season and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
4. NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun
Studio: Kafka
Streaming platform: Prime Video
Adapted from Ikka Matsuki’s historical fiction manga series, NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun takes place in an alternate Japan, where the country was hit with severe aftereffects of the nuclear war and a deadly virus at the end of Reiwa Era. The people eventually overthrew the government, but the population was reduced to a 10th of what it was before. The technology of the country was reduced to that of the Meiji Era. and the country was divided into three kingdoms: Yamato, Takeo, and Seii. But a hundred years later, a man named Aoteru Misumi uses his brilliant strategizing skills to reunify the country into a new era.
Despite telling the story of an alternate universe, the anime teeters the line of realism and drama very well. This is mostly due to how violent the country is shown to be. In a dog eat dog world, one man dares to dream about uniting his homeland after suffering a terrible tragedy. The series is gory, artistic, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Aoteru’s journey to become a cunning yet benevolent leader is inspirational. The animation is brilliant, and compliments the unique art style of the anime very well. It’s an extraordinary experience both visually and story-wise.
3. Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring
Studio: Wit Studio
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
If you love yearning men and aren’t afraid to shed a few tears, then Agents of the Four Seasons might be the perfect fit for you. The series is based on Kana Akatsuki’s novel, whom you might know as the author of Violet Evergarden. The story follows Hinagaku, who is the Agent of Spring, a human tasked with bringing the season of spring to the lands every year. However, after a traumatic experience where Hinagiku was kidnapped, she shuts herself in. Now she has returned to bring Spring back to the land with the help of her guard Sakura. But things won’t be as easy as they seem.
The Agent of Winter Rōsei and his guard Itecho are in love with Hinagiku and Sakura respectively. Even when they wanted to help Sakura find Hinagiku when she disappeared, they had to stop the search eventually. With a massive rift now between them, the two men yearn for the loves of their lives but can’t approach them. Elsewhere, Hinagiku and Sakura struggle together to survive in a world where everyone seems to be against them. At the end of the day, the series reminds us that despite being blessed with godly powers, the agents are humans and crave to live a normal life. The series is visually stunning and pulls you in by the heartstrings into the story. You can't help but feel bad for Hinagiku after everything she has been through and root for them to find happiness.
2. Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Studio: Bones Film
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll
A lot of famous authors and manga artists are back this season with new anime adaptations. If Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood was one of your favourite shows growing up, then you need to watch the creator Hiromu Arakawa’s manga Daemons of the Shadow Realm’s anime adaptation. The series is set in a world where some humans can control supernatural duos called Daemons. Yuru and Asa, two twins who have been separated since a young age finally have their fateful meeting.
But Yuru, who grew up in a hidden mountain village away from the modern world, doesn't know anything about technology. How will he survive being the master of two powerful Daemons and this new world he’s been thrust into? Much like every good shōnen, Daemons of the Shadow Realm is taking some time to set up the premise and plotline. But it’s being done carefully to draw the audience into a fantastical world of complex powers and bloody battles. I am really invested in the series and looking forward to seeing how it evolves. With stunning animation and visuals, I’m already expecting a lot from this anime.
1. Witch Hat Atelier
Studio: BUG FILMS
Streaming platform: Crunchyroll, Netflix
The Witch Hat Atelier anime, based on Kamome Shirahama’s manga, was set to come out in 2025. However, it was postponed to improve the quality of the animation, and improve it did. Witch Hat Atelier is hands-down the most visually stunning anime airing this season, and that’s saying a lot seeing as there are a lot of great animations this time around. But with each episode, the magic gets more magical and we are once again reminded what a beautiful piece of art can do to improve our minds. Somehow, the series has become one of my favourite magic-related anime with just a few episodes.
The series follows a simple premise around Coco, a young girl who loves magic and wishes to be a witch. Unfortunately, witches are only born and she can’t become one. However, one day, she secretly watches as a witch named Qifrey performs a magic spell by drawing symbols with a pen. Remembering a spell-book and a wand that a creepy-looking witch had given her, Coco starts to draw the spells in the book. But things go south when she accidentally encases her mother in a flurry of crystals. Now Coco is determined to become an apprentice of Qifrey and free her mother. Her journey takes her to unexpected places as she realises that magic is as dangerous as it’s beautiful.